Berserk: Black Wolf
by Toroka25
Summary: If Guts had caught Charlotte instead of Griffith, what would change? One-Shot, more chapters (Possibly)
1. PrologueOne-Shot

Author's Note: Hey everyone, I'm sure you're surprised I'm putting up another Berserk Fanfic, but to be honest, this is a request by a reader called FeralG3. They offered me a chance to test out a concept i wasn't gutsy enough to try (See what i did there) to try. Guts and Charlotte, but with some convincing, and me coming up with proper ideas in which i could use in this fanfiction, with some minor tweaking, I think i can pull this off. However, we made a deal that if this story doesn't get enough views, faves, and positive reviews, this will be a one-shot, but if I can get at least 10 for each category, I will continue this story until the end of the Golden Age Arc, as I can't think of how this story will work out past that point. However, if you any of you can help me figure out how to progress beyond this point, I gladly accept any ideas, anyway enough of my rambling, let's get going into Berserk: The Black Wolf! Catch you on the Flipside! *CLANG*

Chapter 1:

During the battle with Nosferatu Zodd, Guts, growling in anger, his own squad looking in shock as the eyes of the Raid Captain glow with a scars around his eyes gaining the same crimson glow. Guts's mouth contorts into a malicious grin, Casca looking at him in horror as Guts picks up a sword just stands there, a crimson aura flowing off of his body. "Oh?" Zodd asks, "Now isn't this interesting, it has been a long time since I have seen one of your kind, Revenant…"

"Revenant?" Rickert asks, shocked, "What is that?"

"A legendary monster, known to be humans born from the corpses of pregnant women, if any of them survive into adulthood, they are known for being faster and stronger than even the strongest humans, and they grow to be legendary warriors. However, there are only two things that motivate a Revenant into fight, bloodshed and revenge, if what that monster says is true, then Guts must be tapping into his true potential!" Judeau explains, "This is gonna get messy! Casca, get Griffith out of there!"

"Right!" Casca says, beginning to drag Griffith back as Guts laughs and charges forward and begins to swing his blade wildly, snarling like a beast as Nosferatu Zodd blocks each strike, but he notices that his skin is being cut, only shallowly. The sword the struggler is using is dull, which means there is only so much he can do, but each strike brings with it a sensation he craves, pain, proof that he is alive.

"Thats right, struggler! Use that dull blade and continue to fight me!" Zodd shouts, to which he swings his arm, his claws attempting to rake across Guts's chest, only for the berserk man to barely dodge. "So fast! You're much faster than any of your brethren!" Guts then jumps back and raises up one hand, causing his left eye to glow as what appears to be a demon dog's head draws in energy from around him and releases a torrent of slicing winds that rip through stone. Zodd, not having enough time to dodge, crosses his arms, only to have several shallow cuts on his body, but the demon smiles big. Guts falls to his knees, growling, "Ha…. HAHAHAHAHAHA! YES!" Zodd says, laughing, "This is what I have been waiting for, a true battle! However, you only just awoken to your strengths, get stronger, Struggler, and I shall fight you again!" Zodd opens his wings and looks to Griffith, "But I assure you, one day you may very well need to watch your back with that one, who knows, he may lead you to victory or the grave!" He takes off, but Guts raises his hand one last time, the dog head appearing and charging one last blast, only for it to stop short of the flying demon.

"Damn it!" Guts says, coughing up blood and collapsing.

"Guts!" Judeau, Rickert, and Pippin shout, rushing to his side.

"Blood…" Guts says, his eyes still barely glowing as his teeth are now sharp, "Blooood…" His voice is weak, but they can make it out.

"Blood? What is he talking about?" Rickert asks, but then Pippin picks up on of the corpses of the soldiers and a cracked skull, dripping the spilling blood into it, turning the skull into a makeshift bowl. "What are you doing?"

"My father once said something about Revenants, that they were no friends of humanity, but if you aided them in any way, be it giving them blood to drink, or aiding them in finding the obsession of their vengeance, they would spare you, and if you found a Living Revenant, giving them blood would heal their wounds and restore their strength." Pippin explains, "I never once took any account of those tales, but Guts is our comrade, so I am sure the members of his company wouldn't mind giving him their strength after avenging them." He gently lifts up Guts's head and gently lifts the skull to his lips, Casca watching with anger in her eyes, seeing how they are tending to Guts rather than their commander. However as the lifeblood hits Guts's lips, he begins to drink, his eyes slowly opening and he sits up, groaning in pain, his eyes glowing for a second.

"What happened?" Guts asks, then sees Griffith, "Griffith!"

"Get away from him!" Casca shouts, "It's all your fault he is like this!"

Some time later, as the Band of the Hawks return to Windham Castle, Guts is carefully walking through the halls with his crutch, remembering the taste of blood in his mouth. The others had told him of what Zodd had called him when he lost consciousness, and how he subconsciously fought on and pushed Zodd into a corner. 'I'm an Undead, ridiculous! I'm a living being, my heart…!' Guts places a hand against his chest, feeling his heart beating, 'My heart is still beating… But what was it that Zodd said? That when Griffith's dream collapses, that Death will come for me? Tch… I won't let him dictate how I live!' Guts thinks, growling as he passes by a noble, who proceeds to taunt him, but Guts simply plants his crutch into the man's foot. "Sorry, the pain from my injuries threw off the aim of my crutch.

"You cur! Face my blade!" The noble says, growling as he draws his sword, Guts turning to him as his left eye transforms into it's previous lightning bolt shaped form, glowing red with his irritation. The man stops, turning pale and stopping middraw of his sword, before Guts continues on, 'M-monster!' Soon reaching the group, Guts looks to the group with a hint of a smile on his face.

"Hey…" Guts says as Casca glares at him. "How's Griffith?"

"You shouldn't be up yet!" Rickert says.

"Here…" Pippin says, tossing gut a wine skin, to which cut carefully opens it and sniffs it. "It's your new medicine…"

"It's blood…" Guts says, tossing it aside as he puts the cap back in. "Don't need it…"

"Just keep pretending to be human, monster…" Casca says, under her breath, turning her head away.

"Casca…!" Rickert says.

"Well it's the truth, isn't it? Guts is a Revenant! He's a monster, a monster that will kill and eat us if we give him a chance!" Casca says.

"Like I would want to…" Guts says, annoyed with what she is saying.

"Listen Guts, we all know what happened wasn't your fault, she was just worked up as much as we all were." Judeau says, "However, it seems you didn't know you were a Revenant until that fight."

"I was told i was found beneath the corpse of my lynched mother, after that, my adopted mother took me in, but she died to plague when I was 3…" Guts says. "After that I was bathed in bloodshed until now… I know nothing else except for war."

"That doesn't make you any less human, Guts, I've done some reading on what you are, and as long as you feed once a month, you'll be able to keep your instincts in check." Judeau explains. "Not only that, i think you should learn how to harness your abilities, who knows when they will come in handy."

"When I heal up…" Guts says, to which Pippin walks over and offers the wineskin again. Hesitating at first, Guts opens it and gives it another sniff. "What animal did you get this from?"

"A pig…"

"Better than human blood I guess…" Guts says, lifting the skin to his mouth, and as it washes over his tongue, the swordsman's at first repulsed face becomes relaxed and he drinks the whole skin, and gasps for breath once he finishes. Guts then begins to feel his own strength returning, and with a slow movement, settles his broken leg down, and feels the bones reconstructing themselves. "Whoa… I feel different!"

"That's your own physiology…" Judeau says, "You heal much faster than we do, and according to my research, if you take an hour to train with a sword, it will bond to you and will act as an extension of yourself on the battlefield, repairing itself and healing your wounds as it feeds."

"I see…" Guts says, "Interesting…" He then nods and looks to the group, "So whats going on here?"

"Take a look…" Rickert says, "A group of dignitaries and bishops are attempting to vie for Griffith's favor, since up until now, Griffith and the rest of us have had a winning streak going, they want a chance to get favors from him down the road, though some still think of him as an upstart."

"Alright…" Guts says, stepping forward.

""Alright" he says…" Judeau says, smiling.

"Guts hold on! Weren't you listening!?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SO WHAT!?" Casca shouts, "We have to wait until the Dignitaries are done!"

"Like I care, I'm just visiting a wounded comrade!" Guts says "Social status means nothing to me!"

"Halt!" The two guards say.

"You shall not pass until the dignitaries have finished…" One of them states.

"Out of the way…" He says, tossing the one of them aside.

"You damned knave!" The second guard shouts, only for him to be tossed aside as well.

"You coming, Rickert?" Guts asks, but then he stops as Casca, punches him in the face, knocking out one of his fangs. "Gck! What the hell, you crazy bitch!?"

"Why does Griffith even bother with you!?" Casca asks, "Why are you always like this!?"

"Tch…" Guts says, snarling as his tooth grows back, "Fine! I'll be back later!" Guts stomps off growling as his eyes begin to glow in front of the Band of the Hawk.

"Damned monster…" Corkus says, glaring at Guts as he leaves.

It's not much later that Guts is standing on a stairwell, and as he feels the wind, he closes his eyes, and begins to fall into his mind, searching deep inside him for that darkest part of him. Through many dark corners and corridors he searches, as if by a maze, and after what feels like hours to him, he finds it, a massive dog shaped monster chained and bound inside him. "There you are…" Guts says, standing perfectly straight, his fingers interlocked, the fingertips aligned with his knuckles, and his thumbs standing up, the tips pressed against one another, his breathing slow as he concentrates.

"Guts…?" Griffith asks, to which Guts opens his eyes quickly and lunges his hand towards the sound of the voice, but stops as he turns. "Oh, you didn't hear me until now?"

"Griffith, don't sneak up on me like that!" Guts says, "I hate it when people do that!"

"My apologies, I was practically screaming your name when i approached, but you seemed to be ignoring me." Griffith explains.

"Oh, sorry about that…" Guts says, to which the two of them begin talking for a short amount of time before the King appears.

"Guts, kneel…" Griffith says, kneeling.

"Huh?" Guts asks, not catching that.

"You cur…! You are before the King, you will show the proper respect!" General Julius shouts at Guts, who simply glares at the General with a menacing smile as he kneels.

"There is no need for you two to kneel, please raise your heads!" The King says, looking at them, "I am merely on a stroll, getting some air."

"Your highness!" General Julius says.

"It is alright, brother, besides, I am pleased to see the White Hawk and the Black Wolf are both recovering from that ferocious battle just prior!" The King says.

"Black Wolf, sire?" Guts asks, remembering his respect."

"Yes, my men who watched you in battle have claimed you fight with the strength of a wolf in battle, and as one knows, the Black animals and white animals are the dominants of the species, and as such, my men have claimed that while the White Hawk is leading the charge with grace and skill, the Black Wolf covers the retreat with sheer ferocity and raw power." The King says, complementing Guts. "And the rumors about you being a Revenant is something that recently peaked my interest…"

Guts audibly gulps at that, and the King just chuckles, "No need to be nervous boy, so long as you don't aim your sword at me, the Church of the Holy See shall not lay a hand on you!" The king explains, "And you, White Hawk, you have lead us to victory after victory, and for that I am truly grateful, to have both of you here puts my mind at ease, and gives me hope that you will bring an end to this war!"

General Julius glares at the two, but the two of them stand and bow their heads, "We won't disappoint you, sire!" Griffith and Guts say at the same time, showing the proper respect for the man. That is when Guts sniffs the air, his enhanced senses turn his head to see a young woman hiding behind a pillar, and Guts is stunned by her beauty.

"Oh, sire, who might that young lady be?"

"My daughter, Charlotte!" The King says, giving her a signal to come forward, but she hides further still, "As you can see, she is my only daughter, I have spoiled her to a degree. Please excuse her, Lord Griffith, Sir Guts!" The King says, walking past them. "Come Charlotte, we are leaving…"

"Coming Father!" She says, as she attempts to keep up with her father, only for a loose tile to catch her shoe and the girl begins to fall. As she does, a had catches her, a strong arm, and Charlotte looks up to see a young man's face, one with short black hair, and dark brown eyes, like that of chocolate, looking at her, concerned.

"Sorry for my rudeness, but are you alright, highness?" Guts asks.

"You Bastard!" General Julius shouts, "How dare you touch the Princess!?" Reaching out to strike guts, only for the young man to look him dead in the eyes, and for his eyes to begin glowing, the Princess seeing this, but the General ignores this warning, and smacks Guts. Griffith, knowing that is a bad move, positions his cane between Guts and the General.

"Pardon my comrade's rudeness, he only sought to protect the princess from a fatal fall, General Julius!" Griffith explains, smiling and giving him a look that gives him a hidden message. The King notices them and is about to say something as Guts helps the princess back onto her feet.

"Charlotte, is something wrong?" The King asks.

"Nothing is wrong, father!" Charlotte says, looking to Guts as she begins to leave. Guts gives her a gentle smile, with a curt bow, and Charlotte gives him a curtsy as she begins to leave, the King notices this and remembers something.

"Sir Guts, Lord Griffith, I wish to speak with you, later, if you wouldn't mind!"

"Yes, sir, just give me the time and place and I shall meet you there!" Guts says, bowing to the King. Once the royal family leaves, Guts turns to Griffith, "What do you think he wishes to speak with us about?"

"I am not sure, but let's get ready for the occasion." Griffith says, to which the two leave, and later that night, the two arrived, dressed in modest finery, and stand before the King on his Throne, the two of them kneeling before him as General Julius watches with irritation in his eyes. "You summoned us, sire?"

"Good of you two to arrive!" The King says, smiling at them. "I actually have a gift i wish to give both of you!" That is when doors open and the servants, pushing in wheeled platforms, holding powerful armors, carefully suited to their style of fighting, with Griffith's being full plate but carefully crafted to be able to allow freedom of movement, whilst being shaped like that of a humanoid hawk, with feathery flourishes on the shoulders and helm, but everything else is suited for combat, and armed with a saber that is opulent but powerful. The other is a heavy and monstrous armor shaped like that of a wolf-like monster, whilst bearing a heavier blade than guts is used to. "I had these both forged by a powerful sword smith named Godo, in which I had specified they both be a perfect balance between beauty and efficiency. Lord Griffith, this is the Gryphon Armor, may it serve you well, and for you Sir Guts, the Werewolf Armor, with a powerful sword called Durandal, the strongest sword in the Kingdom, aside from his absurd blade."

"Absurd blade, sire?" Guts asks.

"Yes, he has a sword that he claims could kill a dragon, but it is too large and heavy for any man to wield, however, I had this smaller, more manageable incarnation made for you." The King says.

"May I, highness?" Guts asks, to which he gives a gesture of permission, and as guts picks it up, he feels the weight of the weapon, unlike the sword he currently wields. "Amazing… I can actually feel the weight of this thing!"

"Simply incredible, that weapon weighs over a hundred pounds, and yet you are capable of picking it up with little to no trouble!" The King says. "May these weapons and armors serve you well in the future!"

"Thank you, sire!" Guts and Griffith say, to which they leave whilst the armors are brought to their quarters. Time passes and during the Autumn Hunt, Guts aids the hunters in getting their catch, whilst Griffith chats with the Princess, however, as he returns, Guts notices something on the hill with the two.

"GRIFFITH, PRINCESS, BEHIND YOU!" Guts shouts, to which they turn around as a boar passes by them, scaring Charlotte's horse into a panic. Deep inside him, something within Guts snaps, and he charges after her with Griffith, both of them moving quickly and swiftly catching up with the Princess. As the young woman begins to fall as Griffith calms the beast, Guts catches her, "Are you alright, Princess?" Guts asks.

"Y-yes, Sir Guts, thank you, both of you!" She says, her heart pounding.

"It's no trouble, just doing our job." Guts says, lifting her back onto the horse. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, my heart is still pounding but I was terrified I would die!"

"Then let me give you some advice!" Guts says, and begins to instruct her on what it's like to ride a horse at high speed, and helps her calm an excited or scared horse. "Use this advice and next time you won't fall off, and you can even direct your horse during it's charge."

"Y-yes, thank you, Sir Guts!" Charlotte says, a light blush on her cheeks. Guts grins at how cute she is, but then he sniffs something. "GRIFFITH!" Guts shouts, too late, only for a bolt to pin itself in his chestplate, with the Band of the Hawk approaching, Casca rushing over as everyone gathers, only for Griffith to stand up, and pull out the arrow. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, but I can see this is a poisoned arrow, somebody attempted to assassinate me? Guts, what does your nose detect?"

"I caught a whiff of that poison just before it flew, but now I can't trace it!" Guts says, growling as his eyes glow. "Dammit!"

"It's alright…" Griffith says, turning his eyes to glare at a noble, but then looks at the arrow again, "This is no ordinary poison… I think I can have somebody track it down. I'll need to see you later, Guts…"

"Right…" Guts says, his feeling a pain in his fangs, wanting to sink them deep into the man responsible for all this. Casca notices the look on his face and sees Guts's lips curled back in anger as his fangs begin to become visible. This startles her slightly, Guts is angry, and she knows from what was told, when a Revenant gets angry, they become hungry.

"Sir Guts…" Charlotte says, snapping him out of his rage, the young man turning his head towards her, only to find her sticking her finger in his mouth. Everyone looks in shock as Guts's eyes go wide as he tastes something on his tongue. Backing off quickly, rubs the back of his hand on his lips and sees blood, and notices the young woman's hand is bleeding from gripping the reins too tightly. "I thought you might need something to calm you…"

"Th-thank you, highness…" Guts says, stuttering. The King had noticed this and when they arrive with the royal doctor, the Princess explains what happened and says that before Guts went on a rampage, she gave him some of her blood to calm him.

"I did some reading, a few days ago, and it seems Revenants can be calmed if given blood to clear their heads." Charlotte explains.

"A wise decision, if a bit inappropriate…" The King says, looking to Guts, who lowers his head in shame. "Still, it is better than allowing a Revenant to go on an indiscriminate rampage trying to avenge his master."

"My apologies, sire…" Guts says.

"Tis no trouble, Sir Guts, you were only doing what comes naturally for you, I will overlook this just once."

"Your mercy is greatly appreciated, your highness!" Griffith says, hiding the bolt. Later that night, the Princess looks out the window, watching the full moon rise, and as she looks out, she can swear she hears the howl of a wolf in the distance, and she is tempted to make the call back. To this, she looks at the bandages on her hand, and smiles as she had calmed down the Black Wolf with her blood, and thinks of him. As she enters her bed, she dreams of him, protecting her, and her heart flutters. Guts, on the other hand, stares at the moon, the taste of the Princess's blood still in his mouth, and the scent of her skin stuck in his nose. Her scent was like of roses, whilst her blood tasted better than the finest wine he could remember tasting, and in the back of his mind, he finds himself thinking of the Princess, wanting to end this war for her.

'I swear, if anyone dares lay a hand on you, I will tear them to bloody pieces!' Guts thinks, 'Until then, my sword belongs to Griffith…'

Author's Note: Phew, to think I managed to get this done through the span of an entire day. Honestly, I didn't want to do this one, but it was a concept that was just too tempting to pass up. I'm not ashamed if this story becomes a One-Shot, at least i got the request out of the way and done with. Everyone I will be getting back to MHA: Life Foundation soon, i just need the inspiration to hit me so I can properly put out a chapter, so don't worry, I haven't abandoned it. As for this story, this is the Prologue/One-Shot chapter, but if I manage to get a good number of faves, follows, and good reviews, I will continue this. I am not sure what I will do after the Golden Age Arc, but if you guys can come up with ideas to help me, I'll try to go further than that. However, I need your help figuring out one thing, how in hell does Casca have her Demon Child in this story? This is a Guts x Charlotte fanfic, and so I can't figure it out, do I make the Demon Child Griffith's Son? What do I do? If you have any ideas, I am willing to listen. Anyway thats it for this One-Shot/Prologue! I'll catch you guys either in Ballad of the Goblin Slayer, Child of Darkness, or Life Foundation, catch you on the flip side! *CLANG*


	2. Of Wolves and Women

It has been nearly a day, and Guts has been waiting for Griffith to call him for what he needs to do, but during this time of quiet, since there have been no battles that need be fought, Guts have been making round around the castle, keeping his new sword, Durandal, on hand, just in case he sees somebody suspicious. While General Julius is a bit unnerved about this, the King sees the Method in his madness, and tells his fellows that the Black Wolf is acting as his namesake, patrolling the Alpha's territory for intruders or enemies. "He is merely performing a light duty whilst waiting for his next opportunity at prey, leave the wolf to his scouting." The King says, "I honestly feel safer knowing that at least one of the Hawks is taking his service to us very seriously." Guts, overhearing this, just smirks and continues his patrols around the palace. The servants and maids, seeing Guts on his patrol, give him respectful bows and he nods his head back, acknowledging their respect.

However, as he reaches the main foyer, he sniffs the air, picking up a new scent, and decides to try a new trick, closing his eyes as his ears and nose pick up the scents and sounds around him, turning his head and body to the sound of creeping feet, and… The smell of poison… 'Assassin…!' Guts thinks, and he pinpoints who it is aimed towards, and rushes in the direction, soon finding the Queen, with Princess Charlotte. Charlotte, noticing guts, sees his eyes glowing, her instincts telling her that he is gazing past her, and she turns around. "What do you…!?" The Queen begins!

"Move!" Charlotte says, pushing her step-mother aside as Guts charges forward, the Black Wolf grabbing the arms of the Assassin, and tosses him to the side. "Sir Guts!"

"Princess, barricade the door and don't let anyone in!" Guts says, slamming the door shut, Charlotte and her maid servants doing as told as they use a bench to block the door. Meanwhile, Guts glares are the assassin and begins breathing hard as he draws Durandal from his back, snarling with a malicious smile. "What is your purpose here…?"

"None of your business, Mercenary, stand aside!" The Assassin says.

"Poor choice in words…" Guts says, moving into a flurry of strikes as he begins to battle the Assassin, both of them fighting at speeds most would consider unnatural. Guts snarls as his eyes glow, the Assassin starting to get frustrated as he looks at the Black Wolf, blinking for only a second. That is when he feels a great pain in his neck and screams in agony, being forced to the ground as his body rapidly becomes cold, and his sight falls into the darkness, losing his spark of life. Guts gets off the ground and stands up licking the blood off his lips and cleaning himself with the Assassin's cloak. "Princess! It's safe now!" There is sound from the door and one of the Maid Servants looks out and the Black Wolf nods to her.

"Sir Guts! Are you alright!?" Charlotte asks, rushing to him.

"I am fine, though I wouldn't have been able to pull it off if you hadn't thought fast!" Guts says, complimenting the Princess, who blushes and gives a bright smile.

"I thank you, Black Wolf!" The cold face Queen says, "I had not anticipated that there would be an attempt on my daughter or myself in broad daylight. I shall see you rewarded for your efforts and bravery!"

"No reward necessary, your highness, I am just doing my job!" Guts says, that is when his stomach growls, "Oh right, I skipped breakfast this morning…"

"Then allow us to reward you with a filling meal!" The Queen says, "No good deed should go unrewarded!"

"Agreed!" Charlotte says, the Queen watching her. Her cold eyes watch Guts, and sees him smiling at the Princess, her eyes becoming suspicious. Guts soon finds himself sitting at a small table, with a small lunch of fine food cooked by the royal chef along with an equally fine cup of wine.

"Amazing, this is delicious!"

"Our chef is one of the best, Sir Guts!" Charlotte says, smiling at him. "Uhm… I was wondering, do you think you could tell me a bit about yourself?"

"Myself?" Guts asks, "There isn't much to tell you the truth. I am merely a swordsman who travels from battlefield to battlefield in order to earn his coin, I have few things that interest me, and even fewer hobbies outside of my constant training and my recent meditations to discover the limits of my powers."

"I see…" The Princess says, carefully sitting down across from him, "What have you discovered so far?"

"Hmmm…" Guts says wiping his mouth a bit, "Let me see, I had discovered that my speed and strength are much greater than that of a normal man. The second thing i discovered is that I can feed on the blood of my opponents to heal my wounds and repair my sword, though it will still grow dull without sharpening."

"That sounds like it could be useful in a long battle, dullness of your sword aside…!" Charlotte says, thinking that it would help him stay alive. "Oh, I had heard from Lord Griffith that one of your comrades saw you create a dog's head out of shadows and then launched a hurricane from it's maw."

"I did?" Guts asks, "That might be something I might want to look into, never know when it might come in handy..." He then thinks, "Say Princess, I think it would be smart of you to know how to use a weapon…"

"What?" Charlotte asks, "I hate fighting, why would I do that!?"

"It's just as a means of self-defense… Sometimes even the soldiers can't defend the nobles from everything, and those noble lords who think their daughters are safe from invading armies are sorely mistaken. Sometimes an invading force is so massive or powerful that even the soldiers can't stop them, if I were a noble, I'd not only train my son in combat, but also my daughter, just to know she can defend herself." Guts takes a sip of wine, "It would help me sleep at night knowing my daughter can at least protect herself until I can help her."

"I… I see…" Charlotte says, not having thought of things that way. "I could ask my father to obtain some form of combat training…"

"I am sure he will argue that fact, your mother more so, but still, i think it would help them sleep easier knowing you're able to save yourself, and at least have a dagger under your pillow." Guts explains, one of the maid servants overhearing this conversation, and reports this to the Queen, who, despite not liking the idea, believes that this might work to her advantage.

'If I can build a bond between the Black Wolf and Charlotte, I may be able to wrest him away from the White Hawk, and I'll have an immortal assassin at my beck and call!' The Queen thinks, giving a devious smile that she hides with her fan. "I shall bring this up with my husband, perhaps he will approve of this…"

When the King is alone, the Queen approaches him, "Husband, I see you have become quite weary…"

"Oh my dear…" He says to her, feigning love, "I am, to be frank… The incident with the Autumn Hunt still has me shaken, an arrow nearly took my daughter, and I am worried for her safety."

"Well I had thought of something, an idea that is not wholly my own, but I think you daughter may benefit from it!" The Queen says, to which the King looks at him, "Have somebody teach her how to fight…"

"What?" The King asks.

"Please let me finish…!" The Queen says, "I had a small conversation with the Black Wolf, after he had saved us from an assassin…"

"An assassin!?" The King says, "Were you or Charlotte harmed?"

"No, thankfully Charlotte moved fast to push me and our attendants into another room whilst the Black Wolf took care of the threat." The Queen explains, "However, the Black Wolf brought up a very interesting point from the theoretical view of a Father…" The Queen prepares to repeat the words, "He said and I quote: "If I were a father, "It would help me sleep at night knowing my daughter can at least protect herself until I can help her"." The Queen repeats to the King, who looks at her, then holds his chin, pondering the possibilities of his daughter being taken from him, and then he nods.

"Alright then, if the Black Wolf is willing to train her, then I shall also sleep easier knowing Charlotte can defend herself." The King explains, to which the Queen hides a smile behind her fan, and bows.

"Thank you for being reasonable, husband… I shall now take my leave!" She says, leaving the office and slowly making her way to where she last saw the Wolf and Charlotte. She finds the servants cleaning the table they were using, and sees Guts walking outside with the Princess, both of them talking, and while she doesn't like the fact a common-born man is talking with her step-daughter, she has to keep her pride in check if she wants to bend this dog to her will. Guts, looking to the city below from where they are standing, feels the wind against his face.

"You know, being up here, I feel like I'm cut off from the world…"

"Cut off from the World?" Charlotte asks.

"Yeah… Being so high up, it's just so alien to me, I'd rather be down closer to the ground, where I don't have to worry about falling. Then again, thats the difference between Griffith and myself, I prefer being as close to the ground as possible, so I don't worry about falling, and he would rather be somewhere high, where he can see his enemies coming from a mile away." Guts explains. "I'm not like that… What do you think, Princess?"

"Please call me Charlotte when we are alone, Sir Guts…" Charlotte says, looking out to Windham before her. "As for my view on this, I am not sure, I have always lived up here, so I do not know if I would prefer to be closer to the ground or higher in the air." Charlotte then grins, "Though, I do wonder what the sea is like… I would one day like to see the sea…"

"Maybe when you are crowned Queen, you may be able to see it for yourself." Guts says, looking at her, then leans onto the railing and watches a pair of birds flying by, but then a gust of air brings a new scent to his nostrils. Sniffing loudly, he turns his head and sees the Queen approaching, "Your majesty…" Guts says, kneeling.

"Mother…!" Charlotte says. "What brings you here?"

"I had overheard your conversation earlier, and I had decided to bring it up with the King… He has fortunately, seen reason, and so, Black Wolf Guts, you are to train my daughter in the art of combat!"

"Pardon, your highness?" Guts asks, trying not to freak out.

"You shall be giving my step-daughter a few lessons in the art of combat, so that she may protect herself should worst come to worst." The Queen says, "I believe it to be a fortuitous circumstance that you had spoken your thoughts, and it seems even the King agrees with them."

"I… I see…" Guts says, looking at the Queen. "If you command it, it shall be done…"

"Good… You shall begin training Charlotte tomorrow…" The Queen says, "You are dismissed…"

"Yes, highness…" Guts says, bowing to both of them before leaving.

Heading back to the Hawks, Griffith notices him looking like he had just seen a ghost, "Guts, whatever is the matter?" Guts spilled everything that had happened, and Griffith is stunned to hear that Guts will be training the Princess how to defend herself, something he did not calculate, alongside the assassination attempt on Charlotte and the Queen. Taking a step backward in his mind, Griffith thinks carefully on how he could turn this to his advantage, and he smiles deviously. "Alright then Guts, just try not to hurt the Princess too much!"

"Alright then…" Guts says, sighing as he knows he can't get out of this now. The next morning, when the Princess wakes up, she finds her maid servant bring her a bundle of clothes that aren't fancy, rather plain and ordinary by the standards of a noble. With it is a note:

"These will be your training clothes, don't want your precious dresses to be damaged, also, be sure to tie your hair back, if it were to get into your face, then you may end up getting hurt.

Guts."

With her stepmother coming to watch her change into her training clothes, and seeing her hair be tied back, she goes with Charlotte to where Guts is located, holding a wooden sword right for her size while nearby is a much large one. "Oh there you are, Princess!" Guts says, seeing her hair tied up in a rather simple bun.

"Good morning, Sir Guts!" Charlotte says, "Though I must ask, why did you ask me not to have breakfast?"

"In an actual battlefield, you may not get the chance to eat, so for your first day of training, you will need to learn how to fight under unfavorable conditions on the battlefield, and how to adapt to them on the fly." Guts explains. "Here…!" He gives her a wooden longsword and she carefully takes it.

"It's heavy!"

"It's the same weight as your average longsword, it's best you get used to wielding heavier weapons first that way you can build up your strength and your ability to hold a defense." Guts explains, then proceeding to help her with her stance using his sword to direct her body to the correct position, and then teach her a few stances he has learned. "The one I personally prefer during a long battle is this one…" Guts says, placing his blade against his shoulder whilst holding the grip with two hands. "This is the Wrath Stance, it lends itself well to preserving stamina whilst allowing you to be prepared for an attack from the shoulder."

"Yes…!" Charlotte says, imitating his stance, whilst Guts corrects her form, some parts of each form correction making her blush and causing the Queen's blood to boil, but both have to remind themselves this is for their training. Guts meanwhile, ignores his baser instincts and focuses on helping her. "These stances all feel a little tight, Sir Guts…"

"That's good, a tight stance allows for more fluid movement and prevents a waste in stamina!" Guts says, then beginning to teach her the attacking motions as well as the defensive movements and parries. "I should also let you know that you can work in hand-to-hand combat in your sword attacks, surprising your opponent for the briefest of instances." Guts then has her in a blade lock and gently places his foot on top of hers, "Stepping on their foot hard for example, is a good way to distract them, and even an instance of distraction can save your life!"

"Sir!" Charlotte says, removing her foot from under his boot and hooking it around his calf and tripping him, to which she aims her wooden sword at him. "Thank you for the advice sir!"

"Now you've begun to really learn!" Guts says, smiling, picking himself up, to which the a small table is brought into their training area, and the servants bring a small breakfast to the group. "Let's take a break and regain our stamina!"

"Yes, Sir Guts!" Charlotte says, proud of herself. The three eat in peace, the Queen having watched the whole training session, and has begun to note that Charlotte has something of a talent for learning once she puts her mind to something, but more so, it seems that the Black Wolf is a motivator for her. "Sir Guts, I have a question…!"

"Go ahead…" Guts says,

"I was wondering, is there any other part of a sword I can use as a weapon?"

"Well there is the pommel, you can bash an opponent with a strong enough blow, causing trauma to the head. If you're lucky enough to have it made spiked, it will focus the trauma into the points. There are other swords with more unique designs as well…" Guts explains, "Each sword has it's own unique traits that make it a viable weapon."

"I see…!" Charlotte says, taking this into consideration. The group continues to eat until Charlotte feels she has her strength back and they continue training for another few hours, and by the time it is over, Charlotte is breathing hard, but she is smiling, feeling stronger than she was before.

"Well done!" Guts says, smiling at her, "Keep going like that and you'll be able to defeat any opponent that crosses you!"

"Thank you, Sir Guts!" Charlotte says, smiling proudly.

"Very well done, Charlotte, now I believe you should go take a bath and clean yourself off, you have a busy schedule for the rest of the day!" The Queen says.

"Yes, mother!" Charlotte says, making her way to take a bath.

"You did well in training my stepdaughter, though I ask, was it really necessary for you to be touching her so much?" The Queen asks in a cool voice.

"If you want to have a proper stance and not be thrown around like a ragdoll, yes. My adopted father did the same thing to me, helping me with my stance in a similar manner." Guts says, trying to be respectful, and the Queen can sense this and nods as she hides her smile.

"Then I shall excuse your conduct, since you are her teacher and deem it necessary for her survival." The Queen says, "However, I suggest you be mindful of your surroundings in the future, if my husband were to have seen this, he would most certainly obtain the wrong idea…"

"I appreciate the warning, your highness!" Guts says, turning pale for a second, thinking what he could face if the King got the wrong idea, with an audible gulp.

"Then I shall take my leave, you should go wash up yourself, Sir Guts. I am sure you have other duties to attend to." The Queen says, walking away, Guts picks up the training weapons and leaves the grounds. In her bath, Charlotte washes her body, and relaxes in the water, feeling the aching in her muscles starting to leave, and despite the pain, she feels stronger than she ever did before. The empowering feeling of wielding a blade, even if it was a wooden practice sword, it feels so safe, and she enjoyed it. However, what made her happy was the fact is that it was her Sir Guts who was training her, and she couldn't feel happier, almost giddy and ready for her next lesson, whenever it shall come. She then begins to hum a song that comes to her mind, thinking it fits her teacher and his group.

_Time assaults us with towering waves_

_Answer to the Fading Voices, Traveling the night roads._

_I will not forget about you_

_On this road of unfulfillment, I still stand alone._

_Like a wounded bird, I endure the rain with grace._

_Awash in the blood of the wounded earth, we sleep_

_Oh stars, Grandly recount the events of this night._

_I will never forget about you._

_I simply exist along in this freezing night._

_O unfading voices, now revive to your full strength._

_Hai Yai Forces_

_Hai Yai Forces_

_Listen, o Soaring Tower of Darkness, at which even the Wind cries_

_Shed Light on you, wounded and travelling through the Night Roads._

_I will not forget about you,_

_On this road of unfulfillment, I still walk alone_

_Go Forth! O loquacious shadows, come and guide me!_

_Hai Yai Forces,_

_Hai Yai Forces!_

_Hai Yai Forces,_

_Hai Yai Forces!_

_Hai Yai Forces,_

_Hai Yai Forces!_

_Hai Yai Forces,_

_Hai Yai Forces!_

The Princess smiles as she finishes singing the song, and smiles, thinking she has thought of a song that best describes the Band of the Hawk, wondering what she could come up with for Sir Guts, and as she thinks of him, a smile creeps across her face, and she places a hand against her heart, feeling it pound against her hand. She knows now what this feeling is, this feeling of elation and safety whenever she thinks of him, it is the feeling of Love… She is hopelessly in love with Sir Guts of the Band of the Hawk.

Guts, meanwhile, is taking a bath back at the barracks well, sighing as he tries to relax, and thinks about his teaching of Charlotte, to which he slams his palm against his face, groaning as he is thinking about her. 'Damn it Guts, keep your head on straight!' Guts thinks, trying to concentrate, 'She is royalty, there is no way she could hold any feelings for you! Besides, you're only going to be here until the end of the campaign, and then you're going to be moving on. You can't afford to be forming such attachments now!' Guts thinks, to which Griffith sees the Black Wolf looking conflicted.

"Is something wrong, Guts?" Griffith asks.

"Griffith…" Guts says, "I'm just having conflicting feelings about some things…"

"Oh about what?"

"Well…" Guts says, drying himself off, "I know that I work for you, but I just feel I'm here until the end of the Campaign, I just don't feel at ease staying with one company for too long…" Griffith, sensing this, feels anger in his heart, but keeps it from showing.

"Why is that?" Griffith asks.

"I just don't have the same thing you guys have, a dream to keep me here, and I don't want to just stay to help somebody else achieve their dream without having one on my own. So when we finish the campaign, I'm thinking of taking off for a while until I can find my dream. Once I am sure I have found mine, I'll come back and then I'll feel welcome here…" Guts says, to which Griffith sighs in relief, now understanding what is going on.

"You know if you want to leave, you'll have to duel me again, right?" Guts asks.

"I had a feeling that will be the case, but don't worry, I will come back, once I've found a reason to, no matter how long it takes." Guts says, placing a fist against Griffith's chest, "Just don't get into any trouble you can't handle when I win and leave!"

"No promises!" Griffith says, "I feel more at ease when I know you're nearby, so there is no telling what will happen once you leave."

"Don't worry, once I have found my dream, I'll hurry back as fast as I am able to!" Guts says, shaking his hand with Griffith, putting the White Hawk at ease, knowing what Guts is thinking, and it helps him prepare for that day, when it comes. Unbeknownst to Griffith and Guts, the others commanders are listening and most of them are stunned to hear that Guts is intending to take leave from the Band of the Hawk when the campaign is over.

"Ha! At least we get that bastard out of our hair for a while!" Corkus says, to which Casca smacks him on the back of the head. "Ow! What the hell!?"

"Didn't you just hear Griffith?" Casca says, jealous, "Things are going to be tense for all of us while Guts is gone, so we're all going to have more work on our hands!"

"Oh and here I thought you would enjoy doing what Griffith tells you!"

"Guts is Griffith's loyal hound…" Judeau says, "Guts is willing to do any order Griffith gives him, maybe ones he would not be willing to give us, knowing how we'd react to it. So for Guts to leave, he is going to have a hard time asking us to do the dirty work he usually leaves for Guts."

"True…" Casca says, looking down, thinking about what kind of orders Griffith would give that would repulse them that Guts is willing to follow through with. Corkus can't believe what he is hearing and just rushes off, whilst the other commanders just shake their heads at this. Guts, putting on a fresh set of clothes, begins training once again, this time, with his own blade and preparing what techniques he could teach Charlotte in their next session. However, as if by a turn of fate, the day quickly becomes hot, and guts takes off his shirt, revealing his upper body covered in scars from his many battles.

He then takes out a wine skin filled with the blood of a pig, and takes a drink from it, restoring his strength, smiling as his muscles relax, allowing him to stand and begin practicing the basics before moving onto new techniques he develops himself to exploit his new found strength, speed, and agility. For those who would view him now, and those who know of his alternate self as a human, one would know these movements and techniques from when he fully dons the Berserker Armor. As a Revenant, Guts is able to perform these techniques with ease, though he will need to train in his armor to make the proper adjustments and perfect them. He keeps focus throughout the entire day, but soon he is called into Griffith's Office, where they discuss the poison that was used in the attempted assassination, to which Griffith explains what the poison is and asks Guts to perform a counter-assassination. "Griffith, it's not like you to beat around the bush. Just order me, like you usually do!" Griffith smiles at Guts, knowing this was what he was waiting for.

Author's Note: And that's a wrap for this one, I am glad that I managed to get a few people to like and watch this fanfiction, this is something I never expected. However, I hope that this story becomes good enough for everyone and that it becomes popular enough that I can kind of build it into it's own version of the Universe. I also have one thing I would like to ask; If I do somehow manage to make it past the Golden Age Arc, should I have it that Guts pursues Griffith on a Quest for Revenge, or should I have Guts take his place instead, giving him a form akin to his Berserker Armor, and save the world instead of destroy it like Griffith is destined to do? I will leave a poll on my profile so you all can decide and I will respect the final result. Catch you guys on the Flipside *CLANG*


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